Writers are notorious for not writing. We put it off, make excuses, “forget,†shove it to the bottom of our priority lists, and generally let life get in the way–anything to keep from writing. Why do we do this? Most of us are happiest when we’re actually writing and showing progress. But writing is hard. It’s tough. So we push it aside and say we’ll get to it later. But later never seems to come.
I’ve developed a ten-day program to overcome chronic procrastination and get writers back in the groove. Each step is a building block and is added to the previous step. By the time you get to the end, repeating all the steps over and over, believe me, you will feel so guilty that writing will be a relief.
Day 1: Think about writing. Think about your WIP or a new idea. Think about the characters. Don’t write.
Day 2: Walk back and forth in front of the computer for two minutes. Don’t write.
Day 3: Sit in front of the computer for five minutes. But don’t write.
Day 4: Turn on the computer. Don’t write.
Day 5: Put fingers on the keyboard. Don’t write.
Day 6: Open document. Don’t write.
Day 7: Find the place you left off. Read a little of what you’ve written. If it’s a new story–format the manuscript. But don’t write.
Day 8: Repeat the mantra: I am a writer, therefore I write. But don’t.
Day 9: By this time, you should be suffering from DWB—deadly word buildup. So write. Celebrate. Eat chocolate.
Day 10: Repeat as needed.
Happy Writing!!! Anne Marie ☺
